Drain Technician / Plumbing Assistant

bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Portland OR

Drain Technician / Plumbing Assistant

Portland, OR
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    Benefits:

    Company car

    Competitive salary

    Dental insurance

    Free uniforms

    Health insurance

    Opportunity for advancement

    Paid time off

    Training & development

    Vision insurance

    Real Training • Clear Career Path

    A Job That Can Become a Career

    We're looking to hire someone who wants to learn the plumbing trade. This isn't just a helper job – it's a legitimate pathway to becoming a licensed plumber.

    We're not the biggest plumbing company in town, but we're growing fast and we treat our people right. No corporate bureaucracy, no being just another number. Your ideas matter here, and you'll have a real voice in how we do things.

    Here's the reality: drain work and assisting plumbers isn't glamorous. You'll be in crawl spaces, dealing with clogs, carrying heavy equipment, and working hard. But if you're willing to do that work and learn while you're doing it, we can help you build a real career in a trade that's always going to be in demand.

    What We Pay & What You Get

    Hourly Rate: $22-28 depending on experience Earning Potential: This increases as you learn and take on more responsibility

    The Career Path (This is Important)

    This is where working as a drain technician and plumbing assistant is different from most laborer jobs. Your experience here directly helps you get into Oregon's plumbing apprenticeship programs (JATC).

    The Timeline:

    Right Now: Learn drain cleaning, assist plumbers, build documented experience

    After 6-12 Months: Apply to JATC with our documented hours and recommendations from our licensed plumbers

    During Apprenticeship: Four-year program, starting at 45% journeyman wage, increasing every six months

    End Result: Oregon Journeyman Plumber License, earning $80,000-150,000+

    We document your hours, our plumbers provide recommendations, and we're working toward JATC training agent status so we can sponsor apprentices directly. Your work experience ranks you higher on JATC eligibility lists and can earn you credit toward apprenticeship time.

    Why This Opportunity is Different

    • Your Voice Actually Matters As a woman-owned business, I know what it's like to not always be heard in this industry. That's not how we operate. We want team members who think, who have ideas, and who want to help build something. Even as someone new to the trade, your observations and questions matter.

    • Real Training, Not Just Labor Our journeyman plumbers have 15-30 years in the trade and genuinely love teaching. This isn't some corporate "training program" where you just carry things. It's real, hands-on learning from people who know their stuff and actually want to teach you.

    • Room to Grow We're not set in our ways. We're figuring it out as we go, and we want people who want to grow with us – from drain tech to apprentice to journeyman, or finding your niche along the way.

    What You'd Actually Be Doing

    Drain Work (40% of your time):

    Running drain snakes and cleaning equipment

    Camera inspections of sewer lines

    Hydro-jetting when needed

    Diagnosing drain issues and determining when a problem requires a plumber's attention

    Cleaning up after jobs

    Maintaining drain cleaning equipment

    Assisting Plumbers (40% of your time):

    Helping with water heater installations

    Carrying tools and materials

    Digging, demolition work when needed

    Learning residential service plumbing

    Preparing job sites and cleaning up

    Assisting with repiping projects

    Sales and Customer Communication (20% of your time):

    Learning sales techniques from experienced plumbers

    Explaining drain cleaning work to customers

    Helping customers understand pricing and options

    Selling drain cleaning jobs you're qualified to handle

    Building customer relationships and trust

    What We Need From You

    Required:

    18 years or older

    Valid driver's license and clean driving record

    High school diploma or GED

    Able to lift 50+ pounds regularly

    Comfortable working in tight spaces, crawl spaces, and attics

    Okay with getting dirty and working physically hard

    Professional with customers

    Pass a background check

    Strongly Desired:

    Experience operating drain cleaning equipment (snakes, cable machines, hydro-jetters, camera systems)

    Also Helpful:

    Construction or trades work

    General plumbing helper experience

    Mechanical aptitude or working with tools

    Customer service experience

    Anything that shows you can do physical work and learn on the job

    What Actually Matters:

    You show up on time and work hard

    You want to learn and don't need hand-holding for everything

    You can be professional in customers' homes

    You're okay with work that's sometimes uncomfortable or unpleasant

    You're thinking about this as a career, not just a paycheck

    This franchise is independently owned and operated by a franchisee. Your application will go directly to the franchisee, and all hiring decisions will be made by the management of this franchise. All inquiries about employment at this franchisee should be made directly to the franchise location, and not to bluefrog Plumbing + Drain Corporate.